Take Your Vacation When It Comes, But Enjoy Your City Before Then

Vacations are a good idea, but they only happen once in a while. Your city is where you are most of the time, and the quality of your life is determined by most-of-the-times, not once-in-a-whiles. Fortunately, it is very possible to get some of that vacation feel every time of the year, in your own […]

27 Feb

Vacations are a good idea, but they only happen once in a while. Your city is where you are most of the time, and the quality of your life is determined by most-of-the-times, not once-in-a-whiles. Fortunately, it is very possible to get some of that vacation feel every time of the year, in your own city. In fact, these six tips will help you achieve just that.

Take the Bus:

The best way to get to know a city, its people, its nooks and crannies is by using it buses. It’s usually one of the safest ways to explore a city. Ever had a few hours to spend and wondered, “hey — I’ve never been to such-and-such all these years.” Get on a bus. Pick an off-peak hour, grab a pair of headphones, get a seat. Best stress buster ever. And quite possibly the most relaxing and reflective quiet-time you’ll ever spend. That way, you actually get to leave your footprints on your city, as against your usual routine of home – car – office.

Take a Food Tour:

Almost every place in the city is marked by an eating joint. Eateries are the cornerstones around which every city-dweller builds his or her routine. They are the original landmarks and social hubs. So try out a few. Also try to strike up conversations with the people who run the food joints or even fellow customers; you will be amazed at how much you could learn –and enjoy—about the people and their life in that corner of the city.

Volunteer at Your Secondary School:

If you attended a secondary school in your city, then volunteering at the school would confer you with a sense of ownership of your city. Your volunteerism could come in different forms; whether it is offering your professional expertise for free (as a Doctor, Teacher, Entrepreneur etc.), helping out with services that the school struggles to take care of (cleaning of the school environment) or organizing/participating in extra-curricular activities such as singing and dancing classes or sports. Taking part in any of these activities will not only bring back beautiful memories of your early youth, it will also connect you with the next generation and make you appreciate the changes going on around your city.

Invite Your Friends from Out State

Just as important as traveling to visit friends in other cities is inviting them to your own. Inviting your friends to visit instantly gives you a fresh set of eyes for your city.

You find yourself eagerly absorbing your daily sights as though you were seeing them for the first time. It is akin to the excitement you feel when showing a movie you’ve previously seen to a friend. There are scenes you don’t want them to miss, and your anxiety peaks when those moments approach. Simple things like the statue of an Eyo Masquerade can inspire boredom on a normal day (“Ah, I’ve seen this so many times before”), but when faced with the prospect of showing it to visiting friends, the same statue can inspire trembling excitement and even a sense of pride.

Participate Actively in Your Local Community:

The spectacle of European Football has hoodwinked many of us. We, together with millions from around the world, identify with different football clubs as fans. It is easy for us to forget that the sense of belonging being a fan bequeaths is not the same across the planet. There are aspects and traditions of these football clubs that aren’t on TV, and so it is the fans that live in these cities that carry these traditions on. For us here and elsewhere, we must find our local people-puller and take our membership seriously. That’s how a fantastic culture is built offline, and is ready to amaze the world if and when they ever get a chance to see it.

Have Your Own Quiet Cove:

Throughout history there are countless stories of people stepping away from the routine of life to seek deeper meaning and purpose. A life working, pursuing entertainment and comfort, and staying physically fit only takes us so far. More education, travel and being busy are a few of the countless ways to pass time, challenge time, or dull time. Nevertheless something inside of us wants deeper meaning and purpose. Life is passing by. Sermons often don’t cut it, because we can find ourselves questioning elements in the sermons of preachers, but our own quiet withdrawal and introspection produces internal calmness like nothing else can. A quiet cove is the place we go to, close to nature, and totally free of charge. Having our quiet cove in our city makes it all the better.